Share this page

The Gaddafi family tree

A look at the whereabouts, relationships and former roles of the family of ousted leader Colonel Muammar Gaddafi after his capture and death in his Libyan hometown of Sirte.

CLICKABLE Select the images to read more.

Fatiha

Whereabouts: Unknown
Official post: None

Gaddafi's first wife was a schoolteacher. The couple are reported not to have met before they married. They had one son, Muhammad, but separated after six months. Little else is known about her.

Colonel Muammar Gaddafi

Whereabouts: DeadOfficial post: Leader

Muammar Gaddafi was killed after his capture in his birthplace of Sirte on 20 October. It followed fierce fighting between NTC fighters and Gaddafi loyalists. Having seized power in a bloodless military coup in 1969, he was the longest-serving leader in Africa and in the Arab world. He claimed the country was run by "people's committees". In reality, Gadaffi retained authoritarian control until the popular uprising that began in April.

Safia al-Gaddafi

Whereabouts: Algeria
Official post: None

Safia fled to Algeria following the rebels capture of Tripoli.
She is Gaddafi's second wife and mother of seven of his children. The couple also adopted a son and daughter, Milad and Hanna. Following the American bombing of Tripoli in 1986, Col Gaddafi announced that Hanna, then aged four, had been killed in the attack. However, there have since been reports suggesting that she may still be alive.

Muhammad al-Gaddafi

Whereabouts: Algeria
Official post: Head of Libyan Olympic committee

Muhammad fled to Algeria shortly after the rebels took Tripoli. Born to Gaddafi's first wife, Muhammad is Gaddafi's eldest son. As well as running the Olympic committee, he was also the chairman of the General Post and Telecom Company which controlled Libya's mobile phone and satellite communications networks.

Saif al-Islam al-Gaddafi

Whereabouts: CapturedOfficial post: Head of Gaddafi family's charity

Having made his last stand in Sirte on 20 October alongside his father, he was captured a month later while trying to flee to Niger. Before this, his last public appearance had been during the battle for Tripoli when he called for continued resistance against the rebels. A fluent English speaker, he was widely seen as the modern face of Libya. In 2006 he left the country after criticising his father's regime, only to return later. He is wanted by the International Criminal Court (ICC) on charges of crimes against humanity.

Saadi Gaddafi

Whereabouts: NigerOfficial post: President of the Libyan Football Federation

A son of Gaddafi's second wife, Saadi is married to the daughter of a military commander. He has been given refuge in neighbouring Niger. A former footballer who had a very brief career in Italy's Serie A, he ran the Libyan Football Federation after being national team captain. After retiring from football, he became involved in the film industry, apparently investing $100m in a film fund.

Mutassim Gaddafi

Whereabouts: Believed deadOfficial post: National security advisor

Reports claim Col Gaddafi made his last stand in Sirte on 20 October alongside two of his sons, including Mutassim. A body officials identified as that of Mutassim was later shown on Libyan TV. As national security advisor and a lieutenant colonel in the Libyan army, Mutassim was a member of his father's inner circle. He lived in Egypt for several years, after allegedly masterminding a coup attempt against his father, until he was forgiven and allowed to return.

Hannibal Gaddafi

Whereabouts: Algeria
Official post: Head of state shipping company

Hannibal fled to Algeria shortly after the rebels took control of Tripoli. He worked for Libya's General National Maritime Transport Company, a company that specialises in oil exports. He has reportedly been involved in a number of violent incidents. He was accused of beating a girlfriend in Paris in 2005 and was arrested in 2008 in Geneva for assaulting two of his servants. Later freed on bail, the Libyan government ordered a boycott of Swiss goods, expelled Swiss companies and recalled its diplomats.

Saif al-Arab Gaddafi

Whereabouts: Dead
Official post: Army officer

The Libyan government reported Saif al-Arab as killed in a Nato air strike on the Gaddafi compound on 30 April 2011, along with three of the former Libyan leader's grandchildren. Very little is known about Saif al-Arab, who was one of Gaddafi youngest sons. In 2008 his Ferrari was impounded by German police because of a noisy exhaust, according to a report in the UK's Daily Telegraph newspaper. He was said to be a student in Munich at the time.

Khamis Gaddafi

Whereabouts: Unknown
Official post: Commander of Libya's 32nd Brigade

Mid-October, a pro-Gaddafi TV station reported that Khamis had been killed in August. Arrai television, based in Syria, said he had died during fighting with NTC forces in the city of Tarhouna, south-east of Tripoli. However, he had been reported dead twice before since the uprising began, only to reappear. Before his father was ousted from government, Khamis operated his own special forces unit having received military training in Russia. He was said to have been in charge of the suppression of protests in Benghazi.

Ayesha al-Gaddafi

Whereabouts: Algeria
Official post: Head of charity group

Aisha fled to Algeria with other members of her family shortly after rebel forces took control of Tripoli. After their arrival in the country, the health ministry announced Aisha had gave birth to a daughter. But there was widespread speculation about the credibility of the news. A lawyer, Aisha joined the defence team of executed former leader of Iraq, Saddam Hussein. She married a cousin of her father in 2006.

Milad Abuztaia Al-Gaddafi

Whereabouts: Unknown
Official post: Unknown

Adopted son and nephew, Milad is credited with saving Gaddafi's life during the 1986 US bombing of the Gaddafi compound.

BBC links

This page is best viewed in an up-to-date web browser with style sheets (CSS) enabled. While you will be able to view the content of this page in your current browser, you will not be able to get the full visual experience. Please consider upgrading your browser software or enabling style sheets (CSS) if you are able to do so.